Accidental Curly
by BeneathTheUmbrella
Summary: A plate of regular fries with one or two curly fries thrown in—that's the dream. Or is it?


_Something short and sweet. The idea came to me earlier this week, and I've been obsessed with writing it up and posting it as quickly as possible. Hope you all enjoy!_

* * *

It was in late August of 2013 when Ted unexpectedly, in what started out like a rather ordinary moment, had a big realization. A certain dream had suddenly been fulfilled. Of course, his dream-come-true had occurred three months earlier on a train platform in Farhampton; but this was a smaller, quieter relationship ideal, occurring within the walls of MacLaren's.

Ted and Tracy spent a lot of the summer at the bar. They hung out at a number of her favorite spots too, of course, Tracy sharing her usual haunts with him—her favorite brunch place, a cozy bookstore where you can get lost between the shelves, the MacLaren's on the East Side, which was a surreal experience for Ted...

And they also stumbled upon new places together, little spots that they could now claim as "theirs"— _their_ bench in Riverside Park; _their_ favorite coffee place; _their_ post-dinner ice cream shop. Exploring the city like tourists, through the lens of new love, feeling as if everything old was now new again.

But they mostly always found themselves back at MacLaren's, the familiarity and relaxed environment that Ted always enjoyed, now appreciated by Tracy, as well.

Usually, Barney and Robin were also there, a regular foursome at the bar. But other times, when the newlyweds made themselves scarce (busy, er, "newlywedding"), it was just Ted and Tracy. Which was fine with both of them.

The freshness of their relationship meant huddling together on the same side of the booth, heads close. Lost in each other, they were often oblivious to the drunken, boisterous sounds that surrounded them.

And here they were now, mere seconds before the largeness of a small action would come to fruition.

They sat at the usual booth, grabbing a bite to eat before they hit the movies, a French drama Tracy had been dying to watch. Ted enjoyed his usual burger, fries and beer, whereas Tracy, who after a summer of excess—in the categories of junk food, alcohol, and sex—settled for a salad and water. (He was pretty grateful she wasn't cutting down on that third category...)

But she still occasionally picked at Ted's fries, often absently reaching for the basket at the same time as he, fingers grazing, practically flirting. And at this particular moment, they both grabbed at the same greasy, seasoned fry, Tracy triumphantly getting to it first.

It was an accidental curly.

Ted's mouth gaped, as he looked down at the fry and then up at Tracy helplessly. Tracy, for her part, grinned, clearly reminded of the Gary Blauman tale he had recounted on their first date. Gary, Barney, the basket of fries, _the dream_...

She continued to gaze at him, clearly amused, and gently deposited the deep-fried curly back into the basket. "I wouldn't dare deprive you of the dream," she teased him.

Ted picked up the fry, and looked down at it briefly, mulling it over before looking back up at his girlfriend.

He smiled to himself as he moved his arm, handing the curly over to Tracy, positioning it underneath her nose. Her eyes widened, practically doubling in size, and she beamed, happily accepting the proffered starch. (Who _doesn't_ love a curly fry, after all?) She popped it in her mouth, her tongue slightly reaching out to reel the fry in, Ted in that moment feeling a bit envious of the curly fry.

She gave him a thankful look, pressing a quick kiss to his lips before making a face at the plate of lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes before her, resuming her supper.

Sure, "the dream" may indeed be a basket of regular fries with one or two accidentally curlies thrown in... He, Marshall and Barney had come to that agreement back in May, and it was likely universally acknowledged by men across the land.

But as his focus returned to his burger, his right elbow bumping with Tracy's left on the table, Ted very quickly realized that "the dream" was actually finding someone you _want_ to give your accidental curly to.

 _END_


End file.
